Love Will Prevail
by realornotreal22
Summary: Jess is faced with a big problem...an everlasting problem. Who can help her? Her parents? Her sister? Or the one person she needs most, Joe? Jess/Joe
1. What's goin' on?

_Authors Note: Hey Readers! This is my first Bend it like Beckham story…I hope you like it! Please review when you finish reading. Oh, some background information; Jess is living with her parents almost a year after getting back from California and is still with Joe. She now plays soccer professionally on a team coached by Joe. Pinky is living with her husband and 2 year old son, Bryan. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the plot…yadda yadda _

"Jess!"

Pinky's voice rang out, reverberating off her kitchen walls. Jess's head snapped up to stare questioningly at her older sister.

" What?"

"Are you even listening to me?"

" Of course I'm listening to you!"

" That right? What did I just say then?"

Jess sighed and roughly rubbed her eyes. She shrugged and glanced up, her face still in her hands. Pinky shut her eyes for a moment, seemingly praying for patience. She sat down at the kitchen table and faced her sister.

"What's with you today?" She asked, crossing her arms. "Better yet, what has been up with you all weekend?"

"What d'ya mean, all weekend? I've only been here since las' night."

"Mum says you've been moody and depressed since Friday morning. Why do you think she insisted that you spend the night last night?"

"I thought it was because Teets and Bryan were gonna be in London with Tony till tonight…" Jess said, brow furrowed.

Pinky scoffed and shook her head slightly.

"Honestly, you are so incredibly naïve sometimes. That was just her excuse. Think about it; if it was just because my husband and son were gonna be gone, she would've had me come home for the night. Instead, she wanted you to get out because, apparently, all you've done for the passed 3 days is sit in your room."

"That's not _all _I've been doing…" Jess said, trailing off.

"Really? So what _have _you bin doin'?"

Jess shrugged and turned away, bringing her knees up to her chest as she did so.

" Y'know, Mum also said that you haven't bin takin' any calls as well…"

Pinky sighed and reached out to grasp Jess's hand.

"Did you and Joe break up…?" She asked quietly.

Jess lifted her gaze from her knees to her sister and shook her head.

"No! Of course not! I do believe I'd be sobbing uncontrollably if that were the issue." She said.

She pulled her hand back and it automatically returned to its place across her chest.

"Then what is it? Had a fight, dincha?"

"No! It's not about Joe!"

"Oh bloody hell. I've on'y got so many guesses before I completely give up!"

Jess sighed again and pressed her thighs tighter against her chest.

"It's probably best if you just give up…" She mumbled into her knees.

"Why? What the bloody hell is goin' on?"

"Look, Pinks…I can't tell you…"

Pinky gave her a look and clucked her tongue impatiently.

"Sure ya can. You can tell me anything. You should know that by now, having had me as an older sister for nearly 24 years."

"It's got nothing to do with you…I just- I don't think I can say it out loud just yet…" She trailed off and grimaced.

Pinky's face widened in shock.

"Oh…my….god…you're pregnant, aren't you?"

Jess's mouth dropped in surprise.

"How- how'd you know?" She stuttered.

"Holy shit. I figured you might be, but I didn't think you and Joe were having sex so I didn't ask. I mean to say, you _did _just get back from University…"

"Just? I've been back for nearly a year now." Jess said.

"Well, yeah, but you've only just finished your first pro football season…I mean, how long have the two of you bin havin' sex?"

Jess rolled her eyes exasperatedly.

"Does that even matter? I've got bigger problems here!"

"Oh, right. The pregnancy's more important, innit?"

"Really? Ya think?" Jess replied sarcastically.

Pinky narrowed her eyes and glared at Jess for the comment.

"So how many tests did you take?" She asked.

"Tests?"

"Pregnancy tests, Jess! How many turned out positive?"

"I didn't take any tests…"

"Oh bloody hell, you gotta be kiddin' me! Why're you moping around the house if don't even know for sure yet?"

"I'm late! I'm _never _late!"

Pinky gingerly scratched her forehead and gazed at her sister.

"How late are you?"

Jess shrugged "I dunno."

"Don'tcha know when you're supposed to have your period?"

"Well…sort of…Toward the end of the month…sometime…"

"When did you have it las' month?"

"I didn't…"

"You didn't have it las' month and you're on'y now freakin' out?"

"I on'y just realized…"

Pinky clasped her hands together upon the glass table and pursed her lips.

"We're goin' upstairs now and you're gonna take the test."

--

Jess sat on the toilet lid, elbows on her thighs, and her face in her hands. Pinky stood at the counter, placing the test in a bag and putting it in the trash can beside Jess.

"What am I gonna do?"

Her muffled voice echoed around the silent bathroom. Pinky bit her lip and leaned down to hug her sister.

"There's only one thing you can do…"

Jess removed her hands from her face and looked at Pinky.

"What? Tell Joe, then Mum and Dad, and then _his _Dad and just _hope_ we're all still alive after the battle?"

"No…you don't have to tell anyone…"

Jess scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure people will start to notice when my flat belly becomes round and robust."

"That's not what I meant."

Jess's brows furrowed together and she shook her head, realization striking her.

"I can't do that, Pinky!"

"Why not? I'm the on'y one who knows."

"That's not the issue here! That's wrong!" Jess practically shouted, shocked.

Pinky sat on the edge of the bathtub, facing Jess.

"Jess…think about this…Think about Mum and Dad. How d'ya think they're gonna react when you tell them about this?"

"You talking about the fact that this baby's gonna be half Irish?"

"Partly, yeah. But you're not married, you're not even engaged! This is gonna be a _really _big deal, Jess."

"So your solution is that I should not tell _anyone_ and just have an abortion?"

"It's really your on'y choice…if anyone finds out about this, not on'y will Mum and Dad be devastated, but you and Joe? Neither one of you will have a job anymore. How's that gonna look? Sacked off the team for having an affair with your coach? That's gonna get out to all your fans…other teams…you're gonna be hard set finding another football team to play on. No one's gonna want someone who causes trouble like that. No one wants that kinda publicity. What're you and Joe gonna do, huh? You can't take care of a baby without jobs."

Jess stared at her sister determinedly.

" I am _not _having an abortion."

Pinky sighed and shook her head.

"Well, then you know what your on'y choice is then."

"Maybe…maybe I don't have to tell the other coaches that it's Joe's baby…I can just go on maternity leave during the off season and start up again after I have the baby…" She trailed off. "Who am I kidding? How am I supposed to train, travel, or go to matches with a child?"

Pinky stayed silent as Jess continued to contemplate her options.

"Even if that did work…once the girls get a good look at the baby, they'll know it's Joe's…and it's not like we can tell the child not to acknowledge its father around the pitch…you're right…there's no way around this is there?"

"Not if you keep the baby…"

Jess gave her another look and shook her head. Pinky held up her hands in surrender and dropped the subject.

"Well, I'm suppose I haven't got any choice…How am I supposed to tell Joe?"

"Well…I suppose you just tell him…It never helps to sugar-coat it. You should tell him tomorrow, after practice."

"I _really _don't want to…Can't I just wait a bit?"

"Well, sure…but you don't even know how far along you are…You skipped last month and, obviously, this month too, correct?"

Jess nodded.

"And you're _positive _that you had it the month before that?"

Again, she nodded.

"Well, then I suppose you can put it off a bit…but it's best if you just tell him…"

"He's gonna hate me…"

"No, he's not. He loves you."

Jess shrugged and walked out of the bathroom. Pinky switched off the light and followed her into the master bedroom where she plopped down on the bed, eyes shut.

"So have you talked to Joe at all in the passed 3 days?"

Jess felt the bed sink slightly as it took on Pinky's weight. She shook her head without opening her eyes.

"How many times has he called you?"

"Many."

"And has he left a message each time?"

She nodded and opened her eyes as Pinky whistled softly.

"What?"

"You're not gonna get out of telling him tomorrow. He's gonna corner you before practice and after as well."

A muffled ringing began to emit from Jess's duffel bag on the floor beside the bed. Pinky got off the bed and retrieved the phone from within the mess of clothes that was Jess's overnight bag.

"Speak of the Devil…" Pinky said, holding up the phone, where she clearly read the name 'Joe' on the screen.

"If you don't answer it, I will." Pinky said.

Jess snatched the phone from her hand and reluctantly flipped it open.

"Hello…?"

"Jess! Where've you been? What's goin' on?"

"Nothing…Everything's fine."

"Bullocks. What's goin' on? You haven't talked to me in three days. You haven't bin answerin' any of me calls. What's goin' on?"

"Look…Joe…I can't do this over the phone…"

"Wait…Jess…are ya…are ya breakin' up with me…?" He asked, very hesitantly.

"What? No! Of course not! I wouldn't do that! I love you."

"Oh thank god. I dunno what I woulda done if ya did…"

"Joe…listen, I really can't tell you over the phone…I need to think some more…I'll talk to you tomorrow…After practice…"

"Yer scarin' me, Love."

"I know…I'm sorry…but I'll tell you tomorrow…I promise."

Silence greeted her words.

"Joe…I really gotta go…I love you…I'll see you tomorrow."

"All right. I love you too."

She flipped the phone shut and tossed it beside her as she lay back down.

"What're you gonna tell him?"

She groaned audibly and rolled onto her side, pulling her legs up to her chest.

"I…I dunno…"


	2. Pregnant?

Author's Note: _Here's the next chapter! I hope ya like! Don't forget to tell me what ya think. Thanks. _

Disclaimer: _I only own the plot, not the characters. _

--

Jess dribbled the ball down the pitch, searching for an open teammate. She easily got passed Meg by faking a pass to her right and continued to dribble down with little effort. Joe watched her intently, although he was paying very little attention to the game. She still hadn't talked to him since the night before and he was quickly going insane with worry. Jess side passed the ball to Jules and held back as she scored. The girls on her side cheered and ran over to Jules, tackling her to the grassy ground. Jess turned away from the celebrations and walked down the pitch, toward the lockers. She began to jog when she realized Joe had abandoned his place on the sidelines and followed her.

"Jess!" He shouted over the girls' laughter and cheers.

She pretended not to hear his strained yell of her name over the cacophony of sound and continued jogging toward the locker room. She retched the door open and rushed inside, letting the door slam behind her. She wiped the sweat from her brow and sat on the edge of the bench between their lockers. She reached for her bag and retrieved her cell from the front pocket, along with a bottle of water. She took a sip and held down the number 4 to speed dial Pinky.

"Hello?"

"Pinky, I can't do it. I can't tell him."

"Jess? What're you talkin' about? You- Bryan! Put that down right now!"

Jess quickly removed the phone from her ear and winced as Pinky's voice echoed around the empty locker room.

"You _never _touch these! What did Mummy and Daddy tell you about fire?!"

"Pinky?"

"No, go to your room. Now!"

"Pinky!"

Jess shouted into the phone as she heard her nephew whining in the background.

"Will you just hold on a bloody second, Jess?!"

She sighed loudly and gritted her teeth as she listened to Pinky reprimand Bryan. She heard a door slam on the other side of the line and waited for Pinky to talk.

"Now, what's goin' on?" She asked impatiently.

Jess sighed again and rubbed her eyes.

"I can't tell him…" She whispered.

Pinky sighed this time and sat down on her sofa.

"Jess. If you don't tell him, you've only got one more option."

Jess laid back on the bench and pressed the phone to her ear.

"I can't do that either…"

"Well, you gotta do one, Jess. You can't have the baby and not tell Joe about it."

"I know, but…I can't…kill it."

"Then you've gotta do it. Just tell him. No stalling, no beating around the bush. Just tell him outright. That's all you can do."

"But I really don't want to…He's gonna be-"

She broke off as the girls began to pile into the room; laughing, talking, and singing.

"I gotta go."

"All right. Just tell him, okay?"

"Yeah, thanks. Love you, bye."

She flipped her phone shut and pulled out her clothes to get changed. Mel came out of the showers and stopped at the locker next to hers.

"Jess, where'd you go after the match? Joe was calling for you. He wants to see you after you change."

"Oh, I didn't hear him." She lied. "Where did he…say he was gonna be?"

"I think he said he was gonna be in the bar."

She nodded and threw her jeans and cleats into her gym bag. Slipping on her sandals, she slung her bag over her shoulder and walked out, still wearing her practice clothes. She quickly walked toward the street, away from the pitch, away from Joe. She whipped a shirt out of her bag once she realized she was only wearing her sports bra and pulled it over her head. She made her way down the street, flip flops slapping the bottom of her heals. Her breathing began to quicken as she picked up speed. Sweat began to trickle down her forehead and onto her nose. She was half running, half speed walking when she heard her name over the loud roaring in her ears. She glanced back, not slowing, knowing who it was. With her head turned, her sandal collided with a crack in the sidewalk and she went sprawling forward, landing hard on the concrete. Her wrist cracked as she flung it out to break her fall. She cried out and rolled onto her side, clutching her hand. Bag abandoned, she rocked from side to side, trying desperately to prevent the tears falling as she heard feet pounding the pavement. She bit the inside of her cheek as heavy breathing sounded in her ear. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her into a seated position.

"Oh, Jess…" He trailed off, seeing blood trickling down her legs, cheek and foot.

He picked up her forgotten bag laying at the curb and slung it onto his back. He then bent down to pick her up, careful not to bump any of her injuries. She wrapped her uninjured arm around his neck as he placed an arm underneath her knees and on her back. She buried her face into his shirt, not noticing the blood staining it red. He kissed the top of her head and quickly made his way back toward the pitch. Jess shook in his arms and tears gently dropped onto his shirt as well, mixing with the ever flowing blood from her brow. He placed her in the passenger seat of the car and continued over to the driver's side. He pulled out of the parking lot and silently drove to the emergency room.

"It's gonna be all right, Love" He whispered, pulling into a spot closest to the entrance.

He ran over to her side and easily lifted her into his arms again and walked toward the entrance. The doors slid open once his feet hit the mat and he continued in, where a nurse rolled a wheelchair to his side. He gently eased her into it and looked up as the nurse began questioning her condition.

"Um, she fell…" He told her.

"All right, I'll take her in to see the doctor now. Are you a relative?"

"No, I'm her boyfriend."

"All right, just go up to the desk and fill out her paperwork."

The nurse said, pointing to a large desk to his left before wheeling Jess down the hall. He walked to the pretty woman on the phone who was sitting behind the desk. She handed him a clipboard and a pen with a smile and he began to fill out the forms.

--

He entered the room and found her sitting on the hospital bed. The cast on her left arm went from her knuckles to her mid forearm. She had bandages on her right knee, along with a brace on her ankle. A butterfly band-aid covered the three stitches above her eyebrow as well. She bit her lip as he stared at her, taking in her appearance.

"Hey." He whispered, walking toward her.

"Hi." She whispered back.

"The doctor said I can take ya home now."

She nodded and glanced down at his blood stained shirt. She reached out and touched the fabric.

"Sorry…I didn't know I was getting it on your shirt."

"It's fine. I don't care. It's just a shirt."

She bit her lip again and let her hand drop.

"You ready to go home now?"

"Yeah…but I can't…" She gestured to her stubbed toe and sore ankle. "walk."

He smiled and easily lifted her into his arms again. He walked out of the room and politely refused the offer of a wheelchair from a kind nurse. Once they were situated in the car and he had pulled out of the parking lot, he decided to broach the topic she so desperately tried to avoid. She was staring intently at her blue cast and picking at the bandage on her knee. He reached over and rubbed her arm.

"Jess?"

"Hmm?"

"Are ya gonna tell me what's goin' on?"

She looked out the window to avoid his fierce ocean like stare. He looked away as the light turned green and pressed the gas peddle. He was going to ask again when she whispered a response.

"Do I have to…?"

"Yes, ya have to."

"I don't think I should tell you while you're driving…" She sighed.

His knuckles began to turn white as he clutched the steering wheel harder in fear. He glanced at her; face pale, hands together, thumbs twiddling nervously. He sighed frustratingly, but waited until he parked outside of her house. He turned off the engine and angled his body toward hers, waiting for a response. She rubbed her face with her uninjured hand and bit her lip again. She looked into his eyes and saw the worry was almost overwhelming him. She sighed again and turned away, staring at the clasped hands in her lap.

"All right, Pinky said it's best if I just do it outright…"

He waited expectantly, impatience showing on his features.

"Joe…I'm pregnant…" She trailed off, chancing a glance in his direction.

His eyes had become round with shock, his jaw had dropped and his mouth hung open.

"Joe…?" She waited, every second getting harder for her to bear.

Her eyebrows rose, silently telling him to say something. When he didn't, she gathered her bag and got out of the car. She closed the door and limped away when she realized he hadn't moved and his expression hadn't changed. He watched as the door closed behind her, whispering only one word as he did.

"Pregnant…?"

--

Well, I hope you liked it! Please, oh please review! Thanks!


	3. Tears, Fears, and wonderings

Author's note: Thank you to all who have reviewed!! I'm really glad that you're liking this story! Sorry for the delay, but here's the next chapter. It's a little angst, but I promise that it will get better soon! I'm not that big on sad stories.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the plot.

--

The vociferous ring of her cell phone pierced the silence of her bedroom for the umpteenth time that morning. Jess lay on her bed, staring intently at the ceiling. She reached blindly toward the sound with her uninjured hand. Once her fingers closed around the offending object, she held down the power button until the bright little screen went black. She hadn't bothered looking at the caller id; It didn't take a genius to figure out who the caller was, even if she didn't have a specific ring tone assigned to him. He'd been calling incessantly since he'd watched her disappear behind her front door the night before, since she'd told him of the completely unplanned pregnancy.

She set the now useless cell upon her bedside table and continued to stare at the ceiling, as though she were thinking and concentrating very hard. In reality, her mind was completely blank. She'd thought for hours about her situation and, in truth, her brain hurt immensely and she still had gotten nowhere. She had decided to skip practice that morning and knew that she would have to accept the consequences tomorrow. She sighed as she thought of his reaction, or lack thereof. _How could I have been so stupid? _She thought to herself. _I should have just listened to Pinky and not told anyone. It was ridiculous to think that he'd accept it and be there to support me. _

She was broken from her tirade of thoughts by her mother knocking on her bedroom door.

"Jessi?"

She ran a hand over her face to compose herself and sat up.

"Yeah, Mum?"

"May I come in?"

"Sure."

Her mother walked in carrying a tray of lunch and set it down at the foot of her bed.

"I thought you'd be hungry. I don't want you walking downstairs if you don't have to." She said sternly.

Jess smiled and scooted back against her pillows.

"Thanks, Mum."

"Do you need anything else? Did you take the pain medication?"

"Yes, I took it. That's all I need, thanks."

"All right. Call me when you're finished so I can take the dishes."

Jess nodded and began to eat her lunch, flipping on the television as she did so. She settled on an American show that she'd gotten hooked on in California and continued eating, doing her best to clear her head. She focused all her attention and energy on the food in front of her and the television show. Once she finished, she called down to her Mom to retrieve the dishes and tray. When her mother didn't answer her call, she stood and limped toward her door.

"Mum?" She called from the doorway.

She heard her Mom talking to someone and limped out into the hall to get a clear view of the front doorway. She shrunk behind the banister as she heard the visitor's voice, wincing quietly as she went. She slowly made her way back into her room and closed the door behind her, panic rising within. She sat on her bed, resisting the urge to turn the minute brass lock on the door knob.

"Shit. Shit shit shit shit." She cursed under her breath as she heard two pairs of feet ascending the stairs. She used her elbows to scoot into a lying position against her pillows and closed her eyes to feign sleep. She listened as her mother opened the door and walked in, instantly lowering her voice to a whisper.

"I didn't know she was sleeping. She's been very tired."

"Oh, that's all right, I'll wait till she wakes."

"All right. Let me get her tray." She said, picking up the tray and heading towards the door. "It's nice to see you, Dear. You need to come around more."

He smiled and nodded in acquiescence. As Mrs. Bahmra closed the door behind her, Joe sat on the edge of Jess' bed, facing her.

"Come on, Jess. I know you're not asleep. I saw you crouching in the hallway."

Her eyes flickered open and she silently berated herself for her abysmal stealthy methods. She kept her back to him, still trying hard to feign sleep.

"Jess…" He trailed off, placing a tentative hand on her back.

He felt her flinch beneath his hand, but he let it remain there.

"I'm sorry…I really am. That was a horrible way for me to react. I just- I didn't know what to say…"

When she didn't move, he sighed and let his hand fall to his side.

"I'm not leavin' till ya acknowledge me."

She rolled her eyes and forcibly blew air out of her mouth. She then sat up and faced him, legs crossed.

"What're you doing here? I wasn't answering my phone for a reason."

"Jess…" He began, but she cut him off.

"What? What do you want from me?! You had absolutely _nothing _to say last night, so you couldn't possibly have anything to say right now! Your apologies are worthless! Saying sorry is _not _going to make it go away! _Nothing _is going to make this go away!" She said, raising her voice as loud as she could without her mother overhearing their conversation.

He reached out, seeing the tears in her eyes. She shoved his hands away and scrambled unceremoniously off the bed.

"No! I don't want you trying to hold me or comfort me because that doesn't do shit! There is nothing you can do here, Joe!"

"There's gotta be something I can do here! I'm a part of this too!"

"What d'ya wanna do? Give me some money and set an appointment to make this all go away?! I'm not gonna do that! I'm going to accept the consequences for what we've done; I'm not taking the easy way out!"

"I don't want you to take the easy way out!"

Jess sank into the chair next to her bed and sighed, staring at the father of the baby she was carrying. Joe sighed as well, roughly rubbing his face with his palm.

"You don't…?" Jess whispered.

Joe quickly turned his head to look at her, incredulous look in place.

"Of course not. How could ya think that would be my solution?"

She shrugged and wiped her face with the back of her hand.

"Isn't that what all guys want when they impregnate their girlfriends? Get rid of it and move on?"

"Well, apparently I'm not included in this 'all guys' forum because I don't think I would've been able to stand it if that's what ya wanted…"

Jess glanced down at her hands and shook her head sadly. Joe watched her intently, waiting for her to speak. Once he noticed the tears gently spilling onto her clasped hands, he made his way toward her, never hesitating as he wrapped his arms around her. She leaned into him and cried openly, letting all her fears and worries wash over him.

"Shh…it's gonna be all right." He whispered, rocking her back and forth.

"We're gonna make this work, I promise."

He rubbed her back soothingly for what seemed like hours until she fell asleep in his arms. He ceased rocking her and gently lifted her into his arms. He lightly placed a kiss on her forehead as he laid her on the bed. He sat beside her sleeping form and brushed a stray hair out of her face. He gently ran his fingers over her tear stained features.

"It's gonna be all right, Love…Everything's gonna be okay…"

He sat admiring her for a few minutes before grabbing a pen and paper to write her a note. _"It's gonna be all right, Jess. I'm not completely sure how yet, but I promise you everything will be okay. Please call me when you wake._ _If I don't hear from you in a couple hours, I'm gonna call. I love you. Joe." _

--

He closed her bedroom door behind him and quietly made his way down the hall and down the stairs. As he entered the foyer, he stopped by the living room where her parents sat on the couch, watching TV.

"Goodbye Mr. and Mrs. Bahmra."

"Oh, Joe. Did she wake up?"

"For a bit, yeah. But I let her rest; she still looks extremely tired."

"Yes, she's been that way all day. I think it might be time to take her to the doctor…" Mr. Bahmra stated.

"Oh, ya don't need to. When I took her, the doctor said it was normal for her to feel tired with the pain medication and that bed rest would help with the recovery process." Joe jumped in quickly, afraid of her parents finding out about the newly discovered pregnancy.

"How long should she be on bed rest?" Her father asked.

"A few days, they said."

"Good. Thank you for stopping by and taking care of our Jessi."

Joe nodded politely and flashed a small smile before heading toward the door. As he walked down the steps and toward his car, he glanced up at the quickly darkening sky. _What am I gonna do? _As he reached his car, he got in and drove down the street, stopping only when he was sure he'd gotten far enough away from her house. He pulled over and got out, unconsciously making his way toward the grass nearest him. As he reached it, he fell to his knees, staring at the rapidly reappearing stars. He breathed in deeply, trying desperately to catch his breath. He gave up as the tears of panic and fear began to stream down his cheeks. He fell forward into the grass, wondering how the hell he was going to make everything all right; wondering…just wondering…

--

To be continued….lol Please review!!


	4. On the Mend

_Author's note: Here's another chapter! I hope you like it and sorry for the indefinite delays. Please read and review!_

_Disclaimer: I owe nothing that I haven't created myself. _

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"Jessi?"

Mr. Bahmra hesitantly opened the door of his daughter's room with a tentative knock. His face contorted into an expression of mild surprise when he took in her appearance. Jess was sitting on the edge of her bed, wearing her practice clothes and lacing up her cleats.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"You're going to practice?" He asked.

"Oh, yeah. I've already missed two days. I'm healed enough to go. I'll take it easy." Jess said, brushing off the worry she heard in his voice.

"Are you sure that's wise?" He said, skeptical.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Jess said before grabbing her bag, standing, and heading to the door.

"What about your ankle?" Her father asked, following her down the stairs.

"I just twisted it. It'll be fine."

"Will you be able to drive…?"

Jess grabbed an apple and turned to face her father.

"Dad. I'll be fine. Trust me. I know what my body can take." She said slowly before kissing him on the cheek and heading out the door.

She got into her car and drove to practice.

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Joe sat on a stool in his bar, chin in hand, contemplating his decision. The bar's phone lay in front of him, face down. He tapped his fingers against the glossy surface of the counter, his gaze fixated on the black object laying quietly next to them. He sighed before snatching up the phone and proceeding to dial a familiar number. _I promised Jess that I would handle this, _he thought as the phone rang.

"Hello?" A male voice asked.

"Hey, Dad. How's it goin'?" Joe asked.

"Oh, hey Joe. Everything's going great! How're things with you?" He said, generally happy to hear from his son.

"Uh, things are good. Really good, actually." He said as an after thought.

"Well, that's great. I'm glad."

"Thanks, Dad." He sighed. "Are ya busy this afternoon?"

"Nope. I don't think so. Why?" His Dad asked.

"I wondering if you wanted to meet me for lunch around one?" Joe said, only slightly hesitantly.

"That sounds great! I would love to." Joe smiled at the tone of his voice; it amazed him how quickly their relationship had changed in the past couple years.

"Will Jess be joining us…?" His father asked, the first signs of hesitance present within his tone.

"Ya know, I really don't know. I'll ask her after practice." Joe said.

"I haven't seen her in awhile. How has she been?"

"She's…good. She's good." Joe said.

"Well, tell her that I would like to see her if she doesn't come today."

"Sure, Dad. I'll tell her."

"All right. I'll see you at one. At the bar?" His father asked.

"Yeah, Dad, at the bar. See ya at one." He said before hanging up.

He sighed and set the phone down, wondering what his Dad's reaction will be when he tells him that Jess is pregnant. He sighed again.

"I suppose you're wishing you hadn't come after me the day I went to California now, aren't you?" Jess appeared in the doorway, leaning against it with her arms crossed beneath her breasts.

Joe looked up and met her gaze. He shook his head slowly, smiling as her presence washed over him.

"You're not even close, Love." He chuckled.

She raised one eyebrow and walked over to him, sitting on the stool next to his.

"Really? So those sighs had nothing to do with me?" She whispered.

"Of course they had to do with you. But not in the way you're thinking." He said before wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "I'm going to tell me Dad about the baby today."

"What?" Jess said, moving quickly out of his embrace to look into his face.

"I'm meeting my Dad for lunch and I'm gonna tell him." He said calmly.

"But-" She broke off, incredulous. "Why?"

He scoffed and looked at her questioningly.

"Because he needs to know. He's gonna find out eventually. I figured one way to start cleaning this up and making it out to be a joy rather than a nightmare would be to tell him." Joe said.

"Are you sure? I mean, I haven't even known that long and you've known for an even shorter time than that. Do you really think it's time to tell your Dad?"

"Yes. I've thought a lot about this; it's the right thing to do, Jess. I'm not afraid anymore. I love you and you're the only woman I want to have a baby with." He said, smiling.

"Really? You're really okay with this?" She asked.

"Yeah. I'm _very _okay with this." Joe said.

Jess's face broke into a delighted grin before she wrapped her arms around Joe and kissed him. She hugged him tight and sighed.

"We're having a baby." She whispered into his ear.

"I know. Crazy, isn't it?" Joe laughed.

Jess laughed as well before breaking the embrace. Her smile faltered slightly as she thought of her parents.

"Oh God, Mum and Dad are gonna freak." She said.

"Yeah, I know. We can handle it though, Love." Joe said in a comforting voice.

"I hope so. They're going to _hate _the ideaof me having a baby unmarried." She said.

"Well, that can always be fixed…" Joe trailed off.

Jess glared at him, lips pursed.

"We are _not _getting married just because I'm pregnant. It should not be forced."

He chuckled again, finding her expression highly amusing.

"Actually, Love, if you must know, I've already asked your parent's permission."

"You did what?" She all but screamed.

"Calm down, Jess! I asked over a week ago; _before _ya told me about the pregnancy." Joe said, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"You did? You wanted to marry me _before _all this happened?" She asked, disbelieving.

He shook his head slowly and rolled his eyes as though he were questioning her sanity.

"Jess, I've wanted to marry you for years. I just had to make sure it was the right time to ask your parents." Joe said.

"You're serious?" She whispered questioningly.

"Of course, Love." He said. "Here, I'll prove it to you."

He slipped off the stool and made his way into the back room, behind the bar. He returned in seconds with a small box clutched in his right hand.

"See?" He whispered, holding the blue, velvet box out to her.

She lifted the object out of his outstretched hand with her fingertips and placed it into her own. When she opened the lid, she gasped audibly.

"Oh God." She whispered. "Joe, it's beautiful."

"I thought you'd like it. It was my Mum's." He said.

"Wow…how long have you had this?" She asked, finally tearing her eyes away from the beautiful golden band to look into his eyes.

"A few months. I got it from my Dad. He's been waiting for me to propose for awhile now." He said, scratching the back of his neck guiltily.

She laughed lightly, bringing her gaze back down to the intricate diamonds.

"Is that what you just did? Propose?" She asked, amused.

"No, but I wanted to make it clear to you that I'm asking because I love you and I want to, not because you're pregnant." He said before lifting the box from hand and bending to stand on one knee.

She smiled shyly as he took her hand in his and gazed into her eyes.

"Jess, my life has been so much better with you in it. I find myself lost when you're not around and worried if I haven't spoken to ya. When I see you, the rest of the world goes dark because the most important thing in my life is you. Nothing else matters when I have you. You're like my colors; with you, I see the whole rainbow. Without you, everything is black and white. Before I met you, my whole world was black and white, but I didn't know any different. I know the colors now and I don't want that black and white world anymore. I want the rainbow, forever. I love you, Jess Bahmra. Will you marry me?"

Jess's eyes filled with tears and she found herself nodding, for she could not speak. Joe smiled and slipped the elegant band onto her finger. He stood and took her into his arms, kissing her with all his might.

"I love you too, Joe. You know that, right?" She whispered through her tears.

"Of course I know that." He whispered back.

He set her on her feet and kissed her forehead tenderly.

"Good, just making sure." She laughed.

He laughed with her, completely ecstatic that he was finally going to marry the woman of his dreams.

"Hey," He said as he lifted her face to his, "do you want to go with me to tell me Dad? He said he would love to see you."

He saw the momentary panic flash through her eyes.

"Whoa, don't worry, Love, you don't have to. I just thought I'd offer." He quickly interjected.

She laughed lightly at his tone.

"No, I should go. It'll make this all the more real and that's what I need right now. I need to face these fears. Whether this was planned or not, everyone needs to know."

"If you're sure…" He trailed off.

"I am. What time?" She asked.

"One." Joe said. "We better get out there."

"Oh, right, practice." She laughed.

She began to head out the door, grabbing her bag on the way.

"Jess?" Joe stopped her.

"Hmm?" She asked, turning to face him.

"Are ya planning on telling the team that you're engaged?" He asked.

Her eyes widened in shock.

"Of course not. I'm not ready for them all to know yet." She said, flustered.

"Then you should take off the ring." Joe said, eyeing the golden band glistening on her left hand.

"Oh, yeah. You're right. Here." She slipped it off her finger and placed it into the box that Joe held out to her.

"No, it's yours now." He said, pressing the box into her palm.

She smiled and slipped it carefully into her bag before heading out the door, her fiancé following just behind.

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_I hope you liked it! Please please review!_


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